Is There Life After College Part Five
by cornishpixie330
Summary: Part 5 of the Angel Series. Graduation's coming up soon for most of the gang and adulthood's looming, with all its ups and downs. Rated for language & adult themes. CA/TL/PS/DK. Thanks for reading & reviewing!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rugrats characters (they belong to Klasky-Csupo) and I am not making any money off of this story.**

**Rated for adult situations and language.**

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**Chapter 1**

Angelica Pickles was stressed. Extremely stressed. She had literally never been so anxious in her whole life. Graduation was a mere two weeks away. Her cap and gown still hadn't arrived, her dress needed dry cleaning and she had to postpone her hair appointment because Stefano was out of town. She didn't have a job lined up yet, and all her interviews thus far had not gone so well. She and Chuck were having a little trouble with rent and bills, and he refused to accept help from her parents, or from his, for that matter. She frowned. Things were not peachy keen. She sighed and reached for her cigarettes, but thought better of it. She shouldn't be smoking. No, definitely not.

And now this. The thought of it made her nauseous. Or it made her nauseous. She chided herself for thinking like that. She wasn't even sure yet, so there was no reason to get worried…yet. Yeah. Probably nothing at all. Everything will probably be just fine…probably. She chewed her lip nervously and picked up _The New York Times_ just to have something to do. But she couldn't concentrate on the world's issues and her mind wandered back to her own predicament. She was too nervous to do it alone. She needed someone for support, just in case. But she was too anxious to sit and wait much longer. Just as she stood, the front door opened and Chuck entered, carrying a few plastic bags.

He smiled. "Hey, Goldilocks. Sorry I'm late." He set the bags down on the kitchen floor and started to put things away. "I stopped by the grocery store to get some stuff on the way home from work. What do you think we should do for dinner?" He held up a pre-packaged pizza crust. "I'm thinking pizza! We can make that homemade pesto again. It was so good last time."

"Actually, I'm not hungry…I feel a little queasy, actually."

"Oh, no…What's wrong?"

"Well…" She stood before him, wringing her hands. He gave her an inquisitive look.

"Well, what?"

"Ithinkimightbepregnant."

"Come again?"

"I think I might be pregnant."


	2. Chapter 2

"WHAT?"

"Calm down!"

"Calm down?!" he asked incredulously. "Excuse me, I'm sorry if I'm freaking out a little right now."

"Don't you think that I'm freaking out? I've _been_ freaking out!" She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Ok, let's just be calm and rational about this. I'm not even sure I'm actually pregnant. I've just been really irritable lately."

"And?"

"And I feel queasy all the time."

"Oh, that's it?"

"And I haven't had my period in almost two months."

"Oh man." He raked a hand through his messy red hair. "Ok…so…yeah…ok…"

She rolled her eyes. "Thank God I'm capable of taking matters into my own hands. Look…" She picked up a plastic bag from the coffee table. "I got a pregnancy test. Two of them, actually. I'll go take it now. You just stay here."

"Do you want me to?…"

"No, just stay here," she said, looking at the floor awkwardly. "I'll let you know if I need you."

Chuck sat down on the couch, all thoughts of pizza gone from his head. He clutched his knees nervously and focused on not hyperventilating. Everything would be ok. He tried to think of something happy to help him calm down. And the first thing he thought of, the first thing he always associated with happiness, was Angelica. Angelica, as his wife. Angelica, as the mother of his children. Yeah. His heart stopped racing quite so much. His breathing slowed down. And he didn't feel quite so anxious anymore. He even smiled a little as a vision of Angelica as a new mother pervaded his thoughts. She would smile radiantly up at him, as she held their newborn baby. Chuck grinned. This was all getting out of proportion so quickly. One minute he was on the verge of hyperventilating, and the next he was on the verge of picking out baby names. He definitely recognized the absurdity of the situation. But…he loved Angelica and he definitely planned on marrying her and having children with her someday. So, maybe they'd just do it out of order a little. Or maybe they'd get married before the baby came. Yeah. He'd ask her right away. The timing wasn't perfect, by any means. But things would work out. They'd be their own little family.

He stood, feeling much better about the situation, and walked to the bathroom. He tapped gingerly on the door.

A few seconds later, the door opened and she stood there, looking even more anxious. "Yes?" she asked tersely.

"Do you…um…need any help?"

"_Charles_, I'm about to graduate top of my class and it consists of peeing on a stick. I _think_ I can handle it."

"Well, did you do it?"

"Yeah…it's not done yet." She walked over to the couch and sat but got up not a full minute later, restless. She walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside, letting in the late afternoon sunshine. Chuck wanted to say something to her, about how everything was going to be ok, that they would be happy no matter what, but she didn't seem to want to talk. She checked her watch, gave him a fleeting look, then headed back to the bathroom. She emerged, carrying the pregnancy test in her hand.

"Well?"

She let out a shaky sigh. "It's negative."

He let out his own breath. "Oh."

"Yeah." she said. The shock slowly began to ebb from her body and relief coursed through her. She laughed. "It's negative! I'm not pregnant! Thank God!"

She threw the test away and then came back into the living room, where Chuck stood, staring at the wall blankly.

She put her arms around him. "I'm sorry I even worried you with this. I should have just taken the test on my own, but I was scared. I wanted someone to be with me."

"Maybe you should take the other test," he said. "You know…just in case."

She gave him a worried look. "You think?"

"Maybe it's a false negative," he continued. "Maybe."

She eyed him quizzically. "You seem more hopeful than worried, Chuck."

"Well…I dunno. I kind of got used to the idea. Of us having a kid together, you know? I mean…I dunno. I guess you're right. Now's not a good time. No…not at all. Someday….someday, we'll be married, and we'll have good jobs and a nice place and…yeah…someday we'll be ready to start a family…" He beamed at her and kissed her forehead. "Can't wait." he finished.

"Chuck…I'm not having a baby."

"Well, no, not now."

"Uh, no, not ever."

His smile faltered. "What?"

"I never want to have children."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Babydoll."

Chuck closed the door behind him and dropped his keys on the counter.

"Ang," he called out again. "You here?"

He peered around the partial wall dividing the kitchen and living room. Angelica looked up from where she sat on the sofa, a cup of coffee in her hands and a smile on her face. "Hey." she said cheerfully.

"Listen," he said, "I've been thinking about things and—"

Chuck stopped mid-sentence as the distinct cough of a man interrupted him. He stepped into the living room. Next to Angelica sat her millionaire ex-boyfriend. Peter looked up at Chuck, his face plastered with that stupid perfect smile. "Hi, Chuck."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"_Charles_," interjected Angelica, coloring. "What is your _problem_?"

Peter stiffened. "It's fine. I completely understand what this must look like. No wonder he's upset." He turned to Chuck. "If I were in your position, I'd feel threatened, too."

"Yeah, well, you're not in my position. Angelica's with me, not you."

Angelica practically slammed her mug down on the coffee table.

"You're absolutely right." Peter replied calmly.

"And I don't feel threatened."

"Of course not." Peter rose gracefully. "Well, I suppose I better be going."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

Angelica gave Chuck a dirty look and also stood.

"It's been a pleasure, my dear, as always, but I've got to go. Dinner with potential clients tonight. Don't forget what we talked about."

"Of course not. Thanks so much for coming by. Let me show you out."

"No, that's quite alright. I'll find my own way out." He gave Chuck a smile as he left.

"What the hell was that about?" asked Angelica as soon as the door closed.

"I could ask you the same question. I come home, wanting to apologize, and _Perfect Peter_'s here, on _my_ couch, drinking coffee out of the mug I made you for Valentine's Day!" He gestured toward the mug in her hands.

"Oh, whatever, you just painted it!"

"Yeah, well, I put a lot of effort into it, ok. I painted all those little hearts. Ok, it's a lot of detail."

"Just shut up about the damn mug!"

"I bet _Peter_ wouldn't bug you about having kids."

Angelica sighed and put the mug down on the table. "Is this what this is about?" She paused. "Chuck. I love you. I _chose_ you. I only want you, even when you're acting like a total ass. So, first off, you're going to have to trust me. There's nothing going on between me and Peter, ok?"

Chuck let out a breath. "Yeah…ok." he said sheepishly.

"So, now that that's settled, you have to decide, once and for all, what's more important to you. I don't want kids and that might never change. So, you're going to have to weigh your priorities and choose: me or kids. If you choose children, I'll understand. You shouldn't have to give up something so important to your happiness."

Chuck lowered his arms. "Babydoll..." He brushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "the only thing important to my happiness is _you_. Nothing else matters. I choose you."

She smiled and cupped his hand with hers. "I'm Glad. I love you, Carrot Top...Now, don't you want to know why Peter was here?..."


	4. Chapter 4

**I promise to continue this soon. but after this chapter I'm taking a brief hiatus to work on an angelica christmas fic. so look for that soon! then i will finish this one as soon as possible. thanks for reading! :)**

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Susie tilted her head awkwardly to hold her cell between her ear and shoulder while wheeling a suitcase behind her. She rummaged through her purse frantically. "Oh, where is it?"

"Where's what?" said Dr. Carmichael's voice on the other end of the line.

"Mom!" yelped Susie. "I'm so glad I finally got a hold of you."

"I know. We've been playing phone tag, huh?"

Susie dropped her duffel bag and rubbed her aching shoulder. "Yeah, and I've been really busy…"

"I bet, with graduation coming up so soon," replied her mom with evident excitement. "Which is exactly what I've been wanting to talk to you about. How's the job front looking?"

"Well…"

"Oh, Dr. Owens has a cousin in the city who could really help you out—"

"Mom—"

"You really need to be thinking about networking—"

"Mom!"

"Oh sorry, I'm just so excited! I'm packing right now. I can't wait to see my baby walk up on that stage and receive her degree!"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you…I'm not walking."

"I—what?"

"I'm not walking on graduation day."

"You're kidding."

Susie continued fumbling through her purse. "Geez, it's not like I'm not graduating. I'm just not walking up on stage. It's just a ceremony."

"But it symbolizes all your accomplishments! All you've had to go through—"

Susie finally dumped her purse, tubes of lipstick and tissues spilling on the floor. There among the clutter was the elusive slip of paper she'd been looking for. Her ticket.

"—I just don't understand," she continued. "What could be more important than that?"

"I might have a record deal."

"Excuse me?"

"There's this guy Peter, he's a friend of Angelica's. Well, he knows a guy who thinks he can get me a contract."

"You can't be serious."

"Yes, I am. I'm at the airport right now. I'm going to L.A. to record a demo."

"But walking up on that stage to get that diploma is your dream!"

Susie sighed. "No, Mom, that's your dream. I just want to sing."

Dr. Carmichael pulled the phone away and stared at it in disbelief. Her little Susie had hung up on her.


	5. Chapter 5

"Eeeee!" Angelica shrieked as a noisemaker went off in her ear. "Congratulations!" shouted Dil, also directly in her ear. He grinned widely, removing one of his strings of mardi gras beads and placing it over her head.

"Thanks, Freakazoid, but that was my EAR!" she screamed at him.

"Angelica, yelling is not very ladylike." admonished Charlotte, before returning to her phone conversation.

"We're all very proud of you!" said Didi very excitedly, snapping pictures like crazy.

Chuck wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek. "We sure are."

Angelica smiled sincerely. "Thanks, everyone." Her smile quickly dropped. "I just wish I had a job lined up." she said with a sigh.

"It'll be fine, Sweetheart," replied Drew consolingly, "The economy's not so hot right now. It'll happen. Until then, you know we'll give you anything you need."

"I know, Daddy. Thank you."

Dr. Carmichael finally grudgingly offered her congratulations. Angelica didn't mind her uncharacteristic rudeness. She knew she was really upset about Susie's choice. As if reading her mind, Dr. Carmichael sighed. "It's a shame Susie couldn't be here."

"Yeah," replied Phil, "It really is. But she's happy. And I think everything's going to be just fine. Better than fine. Great. Because she's really talented. She's gonna make it big, just watch!"

The Carmichaels gave him an incredulous look and then went back to their conversation with Chas and Kira.

"I can't believe you graduated already." said Tommy. "Wow, that means only two more years for me."

"Only another year for me," said Chuck. "And I'm not sure what's gonna happen then. I'm nervous I won't be able to get a job."

"You worry too much," said Kimi. "Everything's going to be fine."

Charlotte finally ended her call and shoved her Blackberry into her Louis Vuitton bag. "Where do you kids want to eat dinner? It's on us!" She poked her husband's arm violently.

"What? Oh, oh yes," said Drew, "It's on us."

Chuck smiled politely but shook his head. "No, that's not necessary—"

"Of course it's necessary!" insisted Charlotte. "My baby girl graduated college! This calls for a celebration. I wonder where we can get some good champagne around here…"

"Dr. Carmichael? Mr. Carmichael?"

Susie's mom spun around and looked Phil in the eye. "Yes?"

"May I speak with you both a moment…er...privately?"

"Yes…of course."

They followed him a little ways off, until they reached the shade of an old oak tree. The late afternoon sunlight shone in patches through the great branches. All around them, congratulatory hurrahs and the clicking sounds of cameras intertwined with the chirping of birds and the rustling of squirrels.

"Ok," he said, suddenly very nervous. Her parents always did that to him. He could tell that they didn't exactly dislike him, but things between them were never as friendly as they should be. They were wonderful people, and had been very friendly to him _before_. As in, before he started dating Susie.

"Ok," said Mr. Carmichael.

Phil guffawed nervously. Dr. Carmichael raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Ok," said Phil seriously. "First off, I want to say that I'm also sorry Susie's not here today. I'm really proud of all her accomplishments. She's amazing in so many ways. I wish I could have seen her walk across that stage today, and I know that you both have been waiting for this day for years."

The Carmichaels visibly softened at this. Dr. Carmichael even looked like she might cry. "Yes…years…"

"But," continued Phil, "I also know that none of those accomplishments, none of her many talents, make Susie as happy as singing does. None of those things make her feel _special_."

He could see in their faces that they hadn't really known this, despite the fact that Susie had told them time and time again how much she loved to sing. Maybe it took hearing it from another person to really get it.

"Well," said Mr. Carmichael, "We know…how much she enjoys it, but…it's not serious. It's not something one makes a career out of—"

"It is if the person's really talented."

Dr. Carmichael smiled. "Phil, you're a sweet boy, but I don't think you understand the way the world works—"

"I _do_ understand, Dr. Carmichael. I just don't think—and please forgive me—I just don't think you have faith in Susie. Not the way I have faith in her."

They looked astounded at this suggestion. "Of course we have faith in Susie!" retorted Mr. Carmichael. "We're just being realistic."

Phil's heart hammered. He didn't think he'd ever been so honest with an adult before. Well, he was (technically) an adult, but these were his parents' friends. It was very unnerving.

"Look," he said, "I know you've never really liked me—"

"It's not that we don't like you—"

"It's just that you don't think I'm good enough for Susie."

They looked uncomfortable.

"It's ok," he continued, "I know. I've always known. And I don't blame you. _I_ don't think I'm good enough for her! But she chose me. For some reason, she wants _me_. And now I have to do everything in my power to make her not regret that decision. I have to do everything I can to make sure she is the happiest woman on the planet. Which is why I'm here telling you this stuff. You need to respect her decisions, regarding her career, and regarding me, because things aren't gonna change. You need to just…let her be happy."

He could tell they actually understood. They finally realized that Susie wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a woman. And they couldn't stop her from doing what she wanted to do.

Mr. Carmichael spoke first. "Ok, Phil…well. I guess you make a valid point…"

Dr. Carmichael's eyes softened. She put a hand on Phil's shoulder. "I'm sorry if…we ever made you feel unwelcome. We've always loved you like a son, of course. We love all you kids…it's just...hard to watch Susie grow up and…I guess the path's she chosen isn't exactly what we had in mind for her…but…you're a wonderful young man…I'm sure…well...maybe, when she gets back, we should all have dinner together…"

"That would be nice," he said, his heart finally slowing down.

"Well, let's get back to the others," she said, quickly wiping away a tear.

"What's going on?" asked Phil as they approached the group.

"Shhh!" whispered Charlotte. Phil looked at Angelica, who was on her cell. "Yes, Sir." she said.

"No, sir." "Of course, Sir."

"Who's she on the phone with?" asked Phil.

"Shhh!" said Didi."

Phil shrugged.

"Yes, Sir," said Angelica, "First thing Monday morning. Got it. Thank you, no—yes—Thank you."

She hung up. Everyone looked at her expectantly. "That was Mr. Wilkerson."

"As in Tracey Wilkerson's dad?" said Lil. "Ugh, couldn't stand her. She was such a little bit—"

Betty pulled her daughter's ear. "What were you saying?"

"Ow! Mom! I was _saying_ Tracey Wilkerson was always a little _bit_ snooty…that's all."

"Uh huh."

"_Anyway_," continued Lil, rubbing her red ear, "Why did her dad call you?"

Angelica rolled her eyes impatiently. "Are you forgetting? Her dad is CEO of Wilkerson Industries. And I had an interview with him last week. I swear, Lil, you never listen to me anymore. Maybe we should break up."

Everyone suddenly looked a lot more interested. "And?" asked Chuck excitedly.

"And…I got the job!"

Everyone cheered. She grinned and gave Chuck a very enthusiastic kiss. Chuck blushed. "Ang, my parents are right _here_."

"Oh, it's fine!" insisted Kira with a knowing smile. "We're not that old, you know! We still—well—we know how it is."

"Eww, gross." offered Kimi.

"Well," said Charlotte, beaming at her daughter. "This does call for a celebration. Let's get going. I'm sure you're all hungry."

Chuck smiled against her forehead. He fingered the mardi gras beads that dangled over her colorful honors sashes and long black gown. "I told you everything would be fine, Babydoll." He kissed her temple. "Are you happy?"

She looked around at all the people noisily gathering up cameras, water bottles, and bags. Everyone talked over each other and had a different opinion about where they should eat dinner. Everyone was there for her graduation. Her parents, Chuck's parents, Aunt Didi and Uncle Stu, Grandpa and Grandma, The Devilles, the Carmichaels, Tommy, Dil, Phil, Lil, Kimi, and, of course, Chuck. Her family.

"Yes," she said, kissing him. "I'm happy."


	6. Chapter 6

**Six Months Later**

"Hello?"

"Girlfriend! Turn on the radio!"

Angelica nearly dropped the phone in shock. "Susie?"

"The one and only."

"I can't believe it!"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll do this later. Turn on the radio."

"I haven't seen you in months, haven't heard from you in weeks, and this is all I get? Not even a hello?"

"Turn on the _radio_. 95.7"

Angelica grinned. "Ok…" She fumbled with the dial. "Alright…so, what?"

"Are you even listening?"

"Yeah…What is that? I…Susie? OhmyGod, is that _you_?"

Susie laughed gleefully. "_Yeah_ it is! I've been mostly touring in Europe for the past few months. They love me here! I'm basically a celebrity! But we're coming back to the U.S. this week! Just testing it out, seeing how people like me back home."

"Well, they'd be crazy not to, you're amazing!"

"Aww, Ang, don't make me blush."

"You sound great." Angelica could barely contain her excitement. "Wow, you're gonna be famous! I'm gonna have a famous friend! Oooh, maybe we'll be on E! News!"

Susie laughed. "Yeah. Maybe. After I take a little break to visit everyone, they're gonna set me up in a studio in L.A. I'm going to record an album! This one's going to be mostly covers, but, if it sells well, I'm going to have complete creative control over the next album. I'm going to write my own songs, produce them, everything….What? oh, ok, yeah…Listen, I gotta go. But I'll be home soon, promise. Miss you guys! Give Chuck my love. Bye!"

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Angelica sighed heavily as she put in her chandelier earring. Chuck frowned as he adjusted his tie in the mirror next to her. "You're not even trying to pretend like you're happy." he said.

"Well, I'm not." she reminded him, reapplying eyeliner. "I don't want to go to this _stupid_ party."

He grinned. "It's only stupid because you're not the center of attention."

She smiled, despite herself. "Well, I _should_ be! Everyone knows I deserved that promotion! Linda's barely competent. She only got it because of seniority."

"Well, it would look pretty bad to give it to you instead, wouldn't it? Don't you think seniority comes into play?"

"No, I don't! I think aptitude and accomplishment come into play! In the past six months, I've negotiated countless deals, gotten them several _very_ important business partners. Without me—" she sighed again. "It doesn't matter. Next time."

"Yes, next time." he said. "Everyone knows that you deserved that promotion. And you will get one, soon. Because you're great at your job." He kissed the back of her neck and she shivered with delight. She turned to face him and gave him a long, lingering kiss.

He circled an arm around her waist. "How about we blow off this lame party and just stay in?"

She sighed, this time with contentment rather than dissatisfaction. "That sounds like a great idea. But you better help me out of this dress. It took me ages to get it on!"

He eyed the little strapless number. "No problem, Goldilocks. I think I can handle that." He looked into her lovely face. Big sapphire eyes, framed in dark eyeliner, looked back at him. She smiled and he smiled back at her. And, suddenly, he felt the weight of the love he'd felt for her all these years, all at once. The heartaches, the uncertainty, it was all worth it. Because she was his now.

"Listen," he said. "I—I'll be right back. Don't move."

She gave him a funny look. "Ok."

He kissed the nape of her neck once more before releasing her, and, with the sound of her happy sigh in his ears, headed toward their bedroom. He opened up the closet door. Stood on his tiptoes and reached to the back of the top shelf. Pulled down a tattered cardboard box. In it were his comic books. Somewhere he knew Angelica would never care to look. Beneath issue #54 of _The Incredible Hulk _was the little velveteen box. He'd been waiting so long for the right moment to ask Angelica to marry him. He thought it had to be perfect. But he finally realized that any moment with her was perfect. And he didn't want to wait a moment longer to claim her. He wanted her forever. And there was no time like the present.

When he walked in the living room, Angelica was still rooted to the same spot, standing in front of the mirror, hairbrush in hand. "Didn't move an inch, I swear. Now, what's this all about?" She giggled. "You know I don't like surprises."

"You love surprises." he said.

"Ok, you got me, so…surprise me."

He got down on one knee and looked up at her earnestly. He held out the little box. "Angelica."

She dropped the brush. "Holy _Shit_!"

"Angelica Pickles….will you marry me?"

She looked down at him in shock. "I-I-I…"

Then, after what seemed like ages to Chuck, her features melted from shock into happiness.

"Well," he said, "What do you say?"

"Well, I'm surprised, alright! And I say yes! YES! Of course, you idiot! Yes yes yes!" She shrieked, jumping up and down excitedly.

"You didn't even see the ring yet!"

"Oh, who cares? It's not import—" her voice cut out as he opened the box—"Ooooh, a half carat Princess Cut! It's beautiful!"

He grinned as he slipped it on her dainty finger. "How do you know these things?" She raised her hand up to examine her new engagement ring. "Do you like it?" he asked.

She pulled him into a passionate kiss. "I love it!...Oh. My. GOD. I'm engaged! I've got so many people to tell!"

"Hey, don't you think we could keep it just between us for a bit?"

"Yeah…maybe…I guess you're right...Oh, wow, I feel like I'm going to faint! This is so unexpected. I didn't know...I didn't even think...but I guess...yes, I've been waiting for...I'm getting _married_! We're getting married, Chuckie!...Oh, it's nearly eight! We've got to get going!"

"I thought you wanted to forego the party?"

"Well, that was before I was engaged! Now, I've got to go show off my ring!"

"_Angelica_…This party is to celebrate Linda's promotion. You can't just go in and steal her spotlight…"

Angelica's face fell. "No…you're right, as usual, Carrot Top…Well…Let's go anyway." She said, though a bit less enthusiastically. She grabbed her clutch and the keys and looked at him expectantly.

"You are _not_ wearing the ring." he said.

"Oh, why not?" she asked in the voice of a spoiled five-year-old.

He gave her an incredulous look.

"Ok, ok…I've got an idea. Be right back."

When she returned, she was wearing a pair of long satin gloves. "See, no one will see it under these. So there. I won't steal Linda's stupid, _undeserved_ spotlight."

"Ok," replied Chuck, satisfied. "Let's go."

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"Angelica! You look absolutely ravishing!"

"Oh, Mr. Wilkerson, you flatter me! I look alright."

She shrugged off her coat and several passing men did double takes. Chuck wrapped an arm around her bare shoulders and gave them meaningful looks.

"Could someone please take Miss Pickles' coat?" asked Mr. Wilkerson. "And, also, this young gentleman's coat—I'm sorry, son, I don't believe we've met."

Angelica handed their coats to the attendant. "Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me. This is my fi-boyfriend, Chuck Finster."

Chuck held out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Sir."

"Likewise." Angelica's boss looked him up and down and seemed to nod in approval. Chuck looked around the room uncomfortably. He hated feeling like a specimen. "Well," said Mr. Wilkerson, "I'll let you two go mingle. I'm sure you don't want to spend the whole night with an old geezer like me!" He laughed, his prominent belly shaking. Angelica laughed too, as if no one had ever said anything funnier. When he'd left, she turned to Chuck. "What? What's that look for?"

He grinned. "Too bad that promotion wasn't based on sucking up, you'd have gotten it in a second!"

"Oh, ha _ha_, you're hilarious." she said, rolling her eyes. He followed her into the ballroom, where the majority of the people were gathered. Chuck looked toward the vast ceiling, where large crystalline shards hung every few yards. Ice sculptures and glitter and tulle and glass and silver ornaments were everywhere. Everything was done up white and silver and glittery. It was like a Winter Wonderland themed high school dance, only much nicer and obviously much more expensive. And this was just the party they threw you for a promotion. He wondered what the retirement parties were like.

"Chuck." Angelica's voice brought him back to reality.

"Yes, Babydoll?"

"Aww? Isn't that sweet?" said one of the middle aged women standing with Angelica.

"Precious!" concurred another woman in a violently purple dress. "They're just an adorable couple."

Chuck got that uncomfortable specimen feeling again and tried desperately not to blush.

"Chuck, this is Mary Anne, and this is Janet. They work in my department. And this—" she indicated a woman standing a little way off from the others—is Linda. This party is to, uh, celebrate her promotion." Linda seemed to be the only one not completely fascinated by Angelica. While the other women seemed quite charmed with her, Linda obviously didn't feel the same way. She gave a strained smile, and, with what seemed like a great deal of effort, held out her hand for Chuck. The women continued to chatter and, after a few minutes, Chuck slipped back into his own little world again, and cast furtive glances around the room, people watching.

After a bit, his attention was brought back to the conversation. He noticed that Angelica's voice was getting rather heated. He knew that tone. This could end very badly. He touched her arm. She smiled up at him. "Yes, Sweetie?"

"Don't you think we should be leaving soon?"

"Oh, no, not quite _yet_. I'm in the middle of a conversation with Linda here—"

Uh oh.

"—about the new project we'll be starting Monday. We've been having a—disagreement—on how it should be handled."

"Mostly because her idea just wasn't very good." said Linda, a stiff, forced smile on her lips.

Angelica tensed up. Chuck gripped her arm more tightly. "I don't think that everyone agrees with you on that, Linda." replied Angelica defiantly.

Linda looked at the other women. They noncommittally looked away, suddenly very interested in the stalactite-like decorations hanging from the ceiling. Linda gave Angelica a satisfied smirk.

"I guess you're not as popular as you thought, _Precious_. But, don't worry, you'll eventually gain experience, and, someday, you'll get a promotion."

"Oh, it took you _years_ to finally get a promotion! By the time I'm _your_ age, which will probably be at least a hundred years from now—"Chuck groaned and put his face in his hands—"I'll be CEO!"

"Not with an attitude like that, you cocky, arrogant little—"

"Old, dried up—"

"Well, I never!"

"Everyone knows _I_ deserved that promotion! But, I'm glad you got it. It's all you have anyway. I know you've never been married because you drove off every suitor with your work obsession-" Angelica paused. She suddenly realized that Linda could be her thirty years from now. And she was suddenly glad that she didn't get the promotion. There were, after all, more important things than work.

A large crowd had now gathered.

"You really can't stand that I'm better than you, can you?" asked Linda with a sneer. "Face it, I got the promotion, and you didn't." And, with that, Angelica's calm dissipated.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm _engaged_!" Angelica peeled off the long glove and flung it at Linda dramatically. She showed off her ring triumphantly. It sparkled in the light of the chandelier overhead.

Chuck cleared his throat. "Well…it was nice to have met all of you. I'm sure we won't be invited back to any more parties, so I hope you all have a good life. Good night." He pulled Angelica's arm none too gently and dragged her out of the party, not bothering to get their coats.


	7. Chapter 7

"_Angelica_, I don't know why you thought the mall would cheer me up. Just because it's where you go when you're feeling down, doesn't mean—"

"You just need to relax! Ohh, I know, couples spa day!"

"Uh, no."

"You'd love the hydrotherapy tub session."

"No."

She pouted. "Not even the chemical peel?"

"I don't even know what that is, but it sounds painful."

She let out a sudden shriek of excitement and shoved her bags into his arms. "Ooohh! That mini dress is calling my name! BRB."

Chuck sighed. Sometimes, she was completely impossible.

She met him in front of the pretzel shop a few minutes later. "Where's the dress?" he asked disinterestedly.

She suddenly looked very serious. "I didn't get it. It was $256! Isn't that absolutely ridiculous!"

"Well—wait, what?"

"They must be crazy if they think I'd pay that much for a dress."

"Ang, I've seen you pay that much for less. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm feeling fine…It's just…we're engaged now. I'm a working woman. You'll be graduating before you know it. It's time for us to grow up. Which is why I brought you here."

He raised his eyebrows.

"You brought me to the mall to initiate me into adulthood?"

"Exactly!" She checked her watch. "Come with me, it's almost two."

She yanked his arm before he had a chance to protest. Mere moments later, they were standing in front of one of the places he dreaded most.

"Angelica…no."

"I already made you an appointment."

"Couldn't you just take me to get some painful dental work done? Or a prostate exam or something? Just…anything but…this…please…"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic! It's just a hair salon." She started to pull a struggling Chuck through the doors. But he wasn't going to have it. He stood rooted to the spot with a determination she'd hardly seen before. People started staring as they passed.

"Chuck," she hissed, her face pink. "You're _embarrassing_ me! You're worse than a child!"

"Well, you're worse than a child all the time. I'm allowed to do it every once in a while."

She stopped struggling and sighed heavily. "Ok, you don't have to do this if you want." She pushed her bangs out of her face and looked up at him. "_But_," she said significantly, "I just thought that—" She smiled and locked her big blue eyes on his—"maybe you'd want to do it—" she brushed her fingertips across his chest—" for _me_."

He sighed, defeated. "Alright. Let's get this over with. Though I wanna let you know, this isn't because of the big doe eyes and the whole flirty thing. I don't fall for your old tricks anymore. I'm doing this because I want to—yeah. Definitely."

"Good enough for me." she replied triumphantly.

She led him through the doors and into a truly frightening room—worse than any dark and creepy dungeon. It was brightly lit, with wicker furniture, fresh flowers, and stacks of _Cosmopolitan_ and _Better Homes and Garden_.

"Angel! how are you, my dah-ling?"

"Stefano!"

Chuck watched uncomfortably as a blatantly homosexual man air kissed his fiancée.

Stefano turned to Chuck. "Ohh and who is dees?"

"This is my fiancé, Charles."

Chuck gave her a dirty look. 'Charles?' he mouthed. She gave him a look that said 'just go with it.'

"Oh, Charles, but it is lovely to meet you. You are very 'andsome! Angelica is so luck-ee!"

Stefano bent as to kiss Chuck's hand and he pulled away quickly. "Alright! Alright, enough with the introductions, let's get this over with!"

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Chuck cringed as Stefano whipped his chair around to face the mirror.

Angelica nudged him impatiently. "Open your _eyes_."

"Ok..." He took a deep breath, let it out, and opened his eyes. He looked in the mirror. "Hey...I look...pretty good."

"And you were worried!"

Stefano gave Chuck a smug look as he removed the vinyl smock. "See, I am very good, yes?"

"Of course I'm not going to let anyone cut off that mop," continued Angelica, running her fingers through his hair. "You know I love your hair. It just needed a little straightening up. It's the same, but a little...cleaner."

He smiled at her. "I actually like it. That wasn't nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be."

She kissed his head. "I'm glad. Now, we've got more stuff to do, so why don't you pay and we can be on our way."

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Chuck struggled with the oversized plastic bags. He sighed. "Are we almost done? I'm starving. Let's get some food."

"You _just_ had a giant pretzel! I hate you, you have the fastest metabolism in the world." She kissed his cheek and relieved him of some of the bags. "Yes, we're almost done. One more stop...right..._here_."

Chuck looked up. They were standing outside of _Eyeglass World_. He clutched his frames protectively, dropping some of the bags. "Hey! I _like_ my glasses!"

"I do too! I just thought we might look-"

"I am NOT wearing contacts! And that is final."

"Oh, you're so cute when you put your foot down, darling. But I don't want you to wear contacts. Your glasses are part of your inexplicable appeal to me, Four Eyes. And, believe it or not, I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do."

"Wait, _inexplicable_? What do you mean by that?"

"Come on-"

"I mean, I'm sure some people wonder why I'm so into you."

She rolled her eyes. "Ok._ Right_."

He rolled his eyes right back at her. "Oh, I forgot. You're perfect."

"See, this is why I like you. You're so _smart_." She grabbed the fallen bags and his arm simultaneously. "Come on."

Minutes later, he was standing in front of a wall sized mirror, helplessly letting Angelica poke and prod and experiment.

"Ooohh, I like these!"

"No."

She made a sour face. "These?"

"Nope."

"Ooh, Ray Bans!"

"No."

She pouted.

"I don't do designer labels." he said matter of factly.

"Yes, I know. and you're so proud of that, aren't you?"

"A little."

"I'm getting you a Versace suit for your wedding gift."

"The ones we got today were expensive enough!"

"Well, you've got to have a nice wardrobe to make it in today's professional world, whether you want to admit it or not."

He sighed. "Yeah. Point taken."

"How about these?" she asked, picking up a pair of frames delicately.

"N-Well, those aren't bad."

She pulled off his thick black frames and replaced them with a similar, yet thinner, more streamlined pair.

The image in the mirror looked blurry to him. He repositioned himself and squinted until it made sense.

"Yeah..." he conceded grudgingly. As he continued to examine his reflection, his glum expression lightened. "Yeah," he said more cheerfully. "I really do like these."

"See, they're pretty much what you've been wearing, just a little more modern, a little sleeker, a little more...adult."

He sighed. "Adult."

"Yep," she said cheerfully. "That's us, adults."

He snorted. "More or less. Adults don't say things like 'BRB'."

"Hello, I was being_ ironic_."

"I'm just saying, if you keep doing the silly things you do, no one's going to take you seriously. You're so intelligent, act like it."

"Chuck...I'm serious at work. I'm serious all day. But when I'm with you...I can be a little silly, a little unreserved. And I know you love me, despite it. I know you even think I'm cute, and funny, even though you get annoyed sometimes. The point is...I can be myself with you. And that's how I know I can spend the rest of my life with you."

He smiled. She wound her fingers through his and they turned toward the mirror. He had to admit, he did look pretty good post makeover. Like himself, just a little more...adult. They looked good together. And they looked happy.

She stood behind him and wrapped her slender arms around his chest. She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Look at us." She gestured toward the mirror. "We're engaged. You're graduating soon."

"You'll be getting a promotion anytime now, I know it."

"We're finally growing up." She finished. She wiped a mock tear from her cheek.

He grinned. "Shut up."

"Oh, you adore me."

He gazed at their reflection thoughtfully. Adulthood was looming. It was sort of terrifying, but mostly...exciting. He saw himself and Angelica learning, losing, gaining, traveling, experiencing, and growing old together. Adulthood was very, very close.

And it was going to be great.


	8. Chapter 8

**sorry, i had to delete and re-upload this chapter because i messed up. i got my timeline confused-the wedding won't be around chuck's graduation, but rather a year later, around the graduation of tommy et al.**

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"First thing's first," said Susie, "You have to pick a date."

"May 21st," replied Angelica automatically, "Next year."

"Ok, excellent. That gives us plenty of time. "Ok, so we are going to do great. We are on schedule! Today is the day we move on to step two—the dress."

"Well, why don't we pick the theme and all that first?" asked Lil. "Then we could find a dress that matches."

"The dress IS the theme! The dress is the most important thing! It's all about the _dress_!" shrieked Susie in a rare moment of hysteria. She calmed down when she saw the way the girls were looking at her. "Er…sorry…got a little crazy there."

"No, you're absolutely right." said Angelica. "It's all about the dress! The beautiful, white, lovely…._wedding_ dress." She sighed happily. "This is really happening, isn't it? I'm getting _married_! To my Chuckie!" She sighed again. Kimi made a retching noise. She shrugged somewhat apologetically at Angelica's dirty look.

Lil chuckled from the driver's seat. "How long do you think this newly engaged gaga lovesickness is going to last?"

"Pretty much the whole time. And then at least a year into the marriage. That's how it was for Alisa. But don't worry; they'll be back to their bickering selves before you know it."

"Can't wait." said Kimi.

"It's very early in the planning process, Kimi. I can easily find another bridesmaid to replace you."

"Like I care," grumbled Kimi. "Who wants to be a stupid bridesmaid anyway?" However, there wasn't a peep from her the rest of the drive.

"We're here!" sang Lil cheerfully. Angelica scrambled out of the car excitedly as soon as it rolled to a stop. She looked up at the hand painted sign above the bridal boutique as if it were a candy shop, and she a kid.

Precisely one minute later, which felt like an eternity to Angelica, they were in the cool, bright interior of the shop. An elegantly dressed dark haired woman met them. "Good morning, How can I help you ladies?" she asked with a smile.

Susie stepped forward, taking control. "We have an appointment. It's for the Pickles-Finster wedding."

"Oh, yes, we've been expecting you. She extended her hand. I'm Rebecca. First off, Miss Pickles, I just want to give you my congratulations."

Angelica pushed Susie out of the way and took her hand. "Thanks. _I'm_ the bride, Angelica. This is Susie, my best friend, maid of honor, wedding planner, and jack of all trades."

"Oh, how nice. And are these your other bridesmaids?"

"Hi, I'm—" started Lil.

Angelica broke in. "This is Lil and Kimi. Ok, we all know each other. Now, let's see some couture!"

"Er—sure." replied Rebecca uncertainly. "If you would just follow me." She led them to a big pair of bronze colored, old fashioned doors. She took out a big key and turned it in the lock.

After the doors slid open slowly, Angelica ran ahead of everyone else. She almost fainted of joy. Inside was her dream come true. A humongous, cavernous room _full_ of wedding dresses. The white was blinding. It occupied every space. The walls were lined with what had to be hundreds of dresses, hanging neatly from bronze hangers. The back wall was a giant mirror.

Kimi snorted. "That's it? All this protection for a bunch of dresses? I thought you had the president in there or something." She glanced around. "What, no armed guards?"

Rebecca and Angelica both glared at her. Kimi grinned, hands up. "Hey, it was a _joke_."

Rebecca turned toward Angelica. "So, tell me a little about your wedding plans."

"Well, it's going to be in May. Not this May, but the next one."

"Ok, early summer."

"Yes. And…well, I haven't decided much else yet."

"And what are you looking for in a dress?"

"Well—um…"

"Modern." said Kimi.

"But classic," amended Lil.

"Yes," Susie agreed. "Very elegant. White, _not_ off white. Sleek."

"Yes. Absolutely." agreed Angelica. She smiled. She was impressed. They knew her better than she thought.

"And your budget?"

"3,000."

"_Dollars_?" asked Lil incredulously.

"My parents are paying for the dress. That's the budget they gave me. _What_, Kimi? Don't give me that spoiled little rich girl crap again. My parents are paying for some wedding stuff, and so are your parents, but Chuck and I are paying for a good chunk."

"Alright, then let's look over here." suggested Rebecca, sensing things could get out of hand. She pointed them toward a section in the back of the room.

Moments later, they were busy rummaging through the long white gowns, setting aside anything they thought Angelica would like. Angelica herself was becoming a little unnerved when half an hour had passed and she hadn't found anything she liked in the slightest. She pulled herself away from the stack of dresses on the velveteen sofa and sighed. "I can't do this anymore! I need a quick break." She dug in her purse and took out a pack of cigarettes.

Rebecca's eyed widened. "Miss Pickles, you can't do that!"

"Oh, I know I can't smoke in here, I'm going outside. I'll be back in five minutes."

"No, you can't smoke and then come back in here and try on dresses! You'll be tainted!"

"I'm sorry?"

"I absolutely can not allow it. You'll have the store and the dresses stinking!" She blushed a little. "I'm sorry, I hope I haven't offended you. It's just that smokers don't realize how much they smell. And their clothes and homes smell like it, too. You'll just have to postpone your break. These dresses are very delicate, and I can't have smoke anywhere near them. Now only does it smell terrible, it causes discoloration."

"Oh…right." She stuck the pack back into her purse and started looking through the white mountain of dresses again. A moment later, Susie appeared at her side with three more. She turned to walk away. "Susie?"

Susie turned around. "Yes?"

"Do I stink?"

She hesitated. "No…"

"Oh God, I do, don't I?"

Susie shrugged. Lil and Kimi showed up with more dresses.

"Lil, do I smell bad?"

Lil looked uncomfortable. "Well, you don't smell worse than any other smoker."

Angelica slumped against the sofa. "Do you think Chuck thinks I smell bad?"

"No, I'm sure he loves it." answered Kimi honestly. "It's almost revolting how much he loves every little thing about you. I think he even missed the smell of smoke when you guys broke up. I sure didn't."

Angelica sighed in defeat. "I'm going to try to quit smoking."

Susie gave her an incredulous look. "So you're saying that it's not the whole cancer thing that bothers you, but the smell? And, of course, the stained teeth."

Angelica got a horrified look on her face and her hand flew to her mouth. "Ok, scratch that, not trying. I _am_ quitting. Today."

"Good." said Susie.

"Excellent." agreed Kimi, smiling for the first time all day.

"Chuck will be happy." said Lil in approval.

Angelica reached in her purse and withdrew the cigarettes and lighter. She handed them to Susie. "As your first official act as Maid of Honor, please get rid of these."

She took them. "Gladly. Now, let's find you a dress."


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey there," said Chuck in greeting as he let himself in the apartment. "How's my bride-to-be doing?"

Angelica looked up from her workspace at the small kitchen table. "I'm ok," she said. "Just stressed."

He frowned as he set his keys down on top of the microwave. "What's wrong?"

"Just work…and wedding stuff…ok, mostly wedding stuff."

"Ang, the wedding's not for over a year. And you've already decided on the date, the dress and the venue. Those are the most important things."

She smiled. "You read the wedding books!"

"Of course I did. Don't I always do what you want?"

"Most of the time. 99% . I guess that's good enough…"

He kissed her head. She sighed. "It's just kind of hard because Susie's never here! She's gallivanting off in L.A. and New York and God knows where else. I need her! I still haven't decided on the flowers, or music or—"

"Well, Susie's got to concentrate on getting her career started right now, ya know? You should probably give her a break." He plopped down on the sofa. "I mean, I know she's a born multitasker, but you know how it is when she stretches herself too thin. She gets like Jessie Spano on caffeine pills."

She looked up from the oversized wedding planner Susie had put together for her. "Shut up."

"I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so SCARED!"

She rolled her eyes but a grin tugged at the corner of her mouth as she glanced back down at the bulging binder.

"You've got plenty of time." he reassured her.

She looked up at him again. "Oh, you know I didn't even think to ask you, did you want to help? I mean, it _is_ your wedding, too."

He grinned, flipping through channels. "Would you even let me? I know how worried you are that it'll be a low class affair if I have any creative control."

"Nooo…well…maybe a little. But I would like your input." she said, seemingly more to convince herself than him. "So, um…do you think Lilies or Roses?"

"Roses."

She made a face. "See!" he said. "I'll just keep my nose out of this. I'll just show up and say 'I do'. Oh and some other stuff."

"Like what?" she asked disinterestedly.

"Well, I thought we'd write our own vows."

Her head snapped back up. "Uh, I don't know about that. You know I'm not good with that emotional crap."

"Well, I'm writing mine. There's my input! You don't have to do your own…but it'll look pretty stupid if you don't, because I'm not backing down."

She grumbled. "More pressure."

"Over a year away." he reminded her.

"You know what else you could do?"

"Hmm?"

"Help me choose a honeymoon destination. What would you like to do? I know we said something low key and not too expensive, but I'm stumped."

"We could go to the mountains or something. Camping?"

"_Charles_, be serious."

"Um…the beach somewhere?"

"The wedding's on the beach. Some creativity, please?"

He pulled his lanky form off the sofa. "I don't know." He sighed, making his way to the kitchen.

Angelica gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Are you OK, Sweetie?"

"Just worried about stuff…I'm not any closer to finding a job."

"You haven't even graduated yet. You'll find something soon enough."

"I tried to tell you the same thing a year ago and you wouldn't listen."

"And look how good things turned out for me."

"Good point," he replied, peering into the refrigerator. His stomach grumbled impatiently. "What do you want to do for dinner?"

"Hmm…"

He rummaged around, peering in a plastic container at some sketchy looking leftovers. "We should order delivery." He shut the refrigerator door and glanced at it. Something among the brightly colored plastic magnets, to-be-paid bills and coupons caught his eyes. Among a few other photographs, one stood out. "Hey, I think I just figured out what we could do for the honeymoon."

"What?"

He pulled the photo from beneath its magnet and placed it on the table in front of her. His parents smiled brightly back at them, the Eiffel Tower a graceful silhouette in the background.

"Paris?" As in France? As in _Europe_? You can not be serious."

"Yeah…I am...I mean…look at them, they look so happy. Wouldn't it be romantic? We could see where they fell in love. And re-visit all the places we went."

"I barely remember that. And there's no way you do."

"Actually, I think I do…"

She eyed him incredulously. "In any case," he continued, "It'll be nice to go again. Romantic. Beautiful. _Paris_, Ang! The food, the scenery, the…shopping."

She grinned as if that convinced her. "What happened to low key?"

"We've got money saved up…Our parents will help…Think about it, _Paris_. What do you say?"

She opened up her laptop and started tapping keys busily. "I say let's book our flight now."


	10. Chapter 10

Chuck tossed his keys down on the entryway table and shut the door behind him. He stopped uncertainly as an unfamiliar scent pervaded the room. "Ang?"

"In the Kitchen!"

"In the kitchen? Now I know something's up."

He entered the small kitchen and peered around the corner curiously. Angelica looked up from the stove and smiled. She was wearing a polka dotted apron over her blue cotton dress and stirring something in a large pot.

"There's my working man! Just thought I'd have a little something waiting for you when you got home." She set the spoon down on a folded square of paper towel on the counter top and approached him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a lingering kiss.

"Umm..."

"How was your first day, you sexy working man? I've just been waiting here for you to bring home the bacon."

Chuck gave her a perplexed look. He felt like he was in some weird, alternate universe.

"Well, first of all, it's just an internship. I'm not actually making any money-"

"But after you graduate, you're as good as in! Everyone will soon realize how talented you are-"

"And, secondly, are you cooking?"

She shrugged and returned to the stove. "I thought, what the hell? Since I stayed home all day while you worked, we might as well continue to reinforce gender stereotypes."

Chuck peeled off his coat and threw it on the back of the nearest chair. He loosened his tie.

"Yeah, since you mentioned it, I thought you weren't feeling well?"

"I'm feeling better now. I think I'm just stressing myself out too much, with work and planning the wedding and all...I used to just smoke when I was stressed." She sighed wistfully. Chuck came up behind her at the stove and buried his face in her golden hair. He inhaled her scent and kissed her neck. "You know, every time you want to smoke, we can have sex. Just saying, it's for your own good. You need a new addiction."

She laughed. "Ok, Carrot Top, Thanks for making the sacrifice." She turned around and offered him the spoon. "Taste."

He eyed the spoon warily.

"Chuck! I'm offended!"

"Since when do you cook?"

"When she was here the other day, Susie gave me a little lesson."

Now Chuck was really surprised. "Really? You let someone teach you something?"

She shoved the spoon in his mouth.

His eyed widened. "Oh my God. Ang, this is actually pretty good!"

She rolled her eyes. "You sound so surprised. It's just spaghetti. One step at a time."

He grabbed the spoon and dipped it in the red, bubbling mixture in the pot. He blew on it, then brought it to his mouth again. He closed his eyes in contentment. "But this is really amazing spaghetti! What's in this?"

She pulled the spoon from his hand and put it down on the counter. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his cheek. "Tomato paste." She kissed his jawline. "Whole tomatoes. Garlic." Her mouth trailed to his ear. "Oregano. Basil."

"Well, it's delicious." he said quietly.

"And the secret ingredient," she whispered into his ear, "Is just a little bit of sugar."

He grinned and pulled away to get a good look at her. His soon to be wife.

"I love this apron." He said, fingering the ruffles.

She laughed. "Aunt Miriam gave it to me. I thought you'd get a kick out of it."

He grinned. "It's incredibly sexy."

She pushed him. "Shut up."

"But I'd be better if you weren't wearing anything underneath it."

"Well, I can arrange that."

He pulled her into his arms. "Come on. I know a way to overcome your nicotine cravings and alleviate stress."

"But," she whispered between kisses, "My spaghetti will burn!" He reached over and turned the burner on low. "It'll be fine."


	11. Chapter 11

Angelica raised a manicured hand in the air. "Waiter!" She rolled her eyes at Chuck from across the table. "Damn, the service sucks here. I wonder how they get away with charging so much."

Chuck shrugged and took a sip of his water. "They seem really busy."

Angelica waved her hand frantically, a trio of rhinestone studded bangle bracelets clinking together. "Helllooo, waiter, can we get some service over here?"

"I don't think people call them waiters anymore."

Angelica gave him a dumbfounded look. "Well, what the hell should I call them?"

"I'm pretty sure people use the term 'servers' now."

Angelica grabbed the sleeve of the nearest employee. "Waiter, is it possible to get some service here?"

The young man's face tightened. "You are not in my section, but, yes ma'am, I'd be happy to help."

"Great! My fiancé here just graduated and we're celebrating. How much is your finest bottle of champagne?"

"Two thousand dollars."

"Alright, how much is your second finest bottle of champagne?"

"Six-hundred fifty."

"Um, your third?"

"Two hundred."

"Alright, we'll take that one."

"Very well, Ma'am. I shall be right back with your champagne."

Chuck sighed. "_Angelica_. Two hundred dollars for champagne? We have a wedding to pay for, you know."

"Oh, whatever, it's my money and I want to treat you. I'm proud of you. Is that such a bad thing?"

Chuck's frown turned into a grin. "Oh, ok. When you earn it, it's your money, but, somehow, the money I earn always ends up being _our_ money."

"Well, that's different."

"Mmhmm."

"And," continued Angelica as she folded her napkin and placed it daintily in her lap, "We're doing fine with the wedding."

Chuck didn't say anytihng. He just took another swig from his glass. Angelica stopped buttering her croissant.

"What?"

"What?"

"You're thinking something you're not saying."

"Oh, nothing...it's just." He shrugged.

"_Charles_."

"I...don't think we're going to be able to afford Paris, that's all. But everything you want for the wedding is do-able. Definitely. We'll just have to plan a less expensive honeymoon to accommodate."

"Oh, well." she replied nonchalantly. "I've been to Paris. It's nice, but we're not missing much. We'll go someday. Maybe we'll do a beach honeymoon after all."

"Yeah...the beach is nice." he said. "I know you love the beach."

"Great! It's settled then...Where the hell is that waiter with the champagne?"


	12. Chapter 12

"So, it boils down to this, " summarized Angelica as she pulled a can of lima beans from a plastic bag. "She is a total bitch."

Chuck grinned and started stacking cans in the cabinet. "Eloquent. Well said, Ang."

She sighed heavily. "_Charles_. You know I can't stand it when you mock me."

"Oh, you know you love me."

"Oh God. now you sound like me."

He started putting produce in the fridge. "Heaven forbid."

"Sweetie, you know how much I love our witty banter, but could we maybe go one day without it?"

"Maybe, but why take the chance?"

Angelica ran a hand through his mop of red-orange hair. "Cute...What are you doing down there?" She tilted her head and peered quizzically as he stooped at the refrigerator.

"Just trying to get this stuff put away."

"...Are you color coding the vegetables?..."

"Something like that."

She shrugged and tossed a box of pasta into the open cabinet haphazardly. "You know, I've been thinking about the wedding-"

He made a disdainful sound from his crouching position.

Angelica swiveled around and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry?"

"What?"

"You _grunted_. What is that about?"

Chuck shrugged without looking up. "It's always the_wedding_...I guess I'm naive, but I was hoping it wouldn't be like this..." He stood and shut the refrigerator door. He faced her and leaned his forehead against hers, one hand weaving through her strands of honey wheat hair. "Babydoll, I just want to marry you. I don't give a damn about the wedding." He took her slender hands in his. "As long as you say 'I do'. And as long as you're happy."

She gave him a reluctant smile. "Fine. Whatever. I'll cool it on the wedding talk." She turned back toward the counter. A moment later, she turned to him, a box of rice in her hand and a sly smile on her face. "I just wanna say one more thing...I think we're going to have enough money for Paris after all."

Chuck's look of confusion quickly melted into a look of goofy happiness. "Really? But where...how...? I know the budget's pretty tight..."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I just realized we had more money than I thought. I mean, I guess"...She put down the rice and took his hand in hers almost shyly. "I guess...I realized how much it means to you."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Angelica...That in itself means the world to me...Thank you."

She pulled away gently and rolled her eyes. "Thank you? For realizing basic human emotions? Don't throw me a parade..." She shrugged. "Sorry, I'm a little late on this whole...compromise...thing."

He grinned. "That's ok..."

Angelica kissed his cheek and swiftly returned to her post at the counter.

Chuck laughed. "You're kind of adorable when you're avoiding your feelings, you know."

"Oh, ok now-"

"OhmygodAngelicagetthatawayfr omme"

She gave him a puzzled look. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You know that I do not like...oatmeal..."

She gave a confused look to him, and then to the canister in her hand and commenced to laugh out loud.

Chuck gave her an indignant look and stormed out of the kitchen.


	13. Chapter 13

Chuck loosened his tie a bit and took a bite out of his sandwich. He gave a little chuckle when he thought about how clichéd he must look now. Wolfing lunch down at his desk, tapping away on the keyboard between bites. He was definitely a working adult. No question about that.

"Hey, Finster."

Chuck glanced toward the doorway, but kept at his work.

"Hey, David. How's it going?"

"About to get out of here. Just wanted to say hi and bye."

"Leaving early?"

"Family vacation. Doesn't actually start until tomorrow but Elaine is kind of having a meltdown trying to get everything done before we leave. And apparently the kids are driving her crazy. So, I'm on my way to help."

Chuck grinned and took a sip of coffee. "So you're gonna keep 'em in line?"

"I used to be able to. But they're more powerful in numbers. We've got four now, you know."

"Well," sighed Chuck, "At least you get to leave. I've been pulling in tons of overtime. Trying to finish up this presentation now. I need to get everything done before I take my time off."

"That's right! The wedding's soon, right?"

"The 21st."

"That's great. Congrats, man. Well, you'll have the whole week off and Richard will probably throw a big bonus your way if you land the McAllister project. And you got the big day itself. That'll be great! Except that you have to be married afterward….I'm joking!" His cell went off. He looked down and laughed. "That's Elaine. I knew this day would come. She can read my mind. See you later."

"Bye! Enjoy your vacation."

Chuck grinned and opened up his bag of potato chips. David was one of the reasons Chuck looked forward to being married. He joked a lot about how awful married life was, but he and Elaine seemed incredibly happy together. Chuck polished off his lunch, slipped his fingers beneath his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ok, back to work.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000**

"This is how it's supposed to be." exclaimed Kimi happily. "We're all together."

"Susie's not here." corrected Phil glumly.

"Oh. Right. Sorry. I know that she really wanted to be at your graduation. You know she'd be here if it was possible." She offered him a consoling hug. He returned it but seemed a million miles away.

"Ok, guys." said Betty, holding up her camera. "Picture time."

Phil groaned. "_Mom_. How many pictures can you possibly take? Digital cameras have ruined my life. She used to eventually run out of film."

"Ah," sighed Lil with nostalgia. "Those were the good old days."

"Just stand together and try to look happy! I want a nice picture of my grads to go in the family room."

"Ok, ok, geez." Phil wrapped an arm around his sister. They both grinned. The camera flashed and Betty immediately peered down to look at her handiwork. Phil had his tongue out and Lil's eyes were crossed.

"Guys!"

"Sorry, Mom." they chorused in unison.

Betty gave them a menacing look. "Let's try this again."

"She means business," whispered Lil seriously. "You better behave."

"Me? You!"

"Smile!" commanded their mother.

Phil saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am."

The camera flashed and Phil heard someone call his name. As the camera flashed a second time, Susie bounded into his arms. "Baby!" he exclaimed. "You're here!" He ran his fingers through her corkscrew curls.

"You're damn right I am, Deville! Sorry I'm late."

"Just kiss me."

She obliged. Betty cleared her throat and they were brought back to reality. A reality where everyone was staring at them. Tommy snickered.

Susie grinned sheepishly. "Sorry I ruined your picture, Mrs. Deville."

Betty let the camera drop and hang from the lanyard around her neck. "I give up. No more pictures." The graduates cheered. Phil threw his cap in the air and hollered.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000**

"You know," said Tommy. "Art Academy graduation is next week. You gonna come and see me and Kimi?"

Susie held up a hand to indicate her mouth was full of pizza. "I will try." She replied after she swallowed. "I have a lot to do next week, but I should be free Friday. She took a sip of her water. "Actually, I can probably write this trip off as a business expense and have the label pay my airfare…Tommy, I have a proposal for you."

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Well, did you see my music video?"

Tommy grinned and stuffed half a breadstick in his mouth. "I did. How was it working with the Great and Powerful Oz?"

"Why does everyone think Oz Lincoln is so great?"

Tommy shrugged. "The guy's a legend."

"He's kind of an ass."

"Well, he does good work. The video turned out great. They're already talking about it being nominated for a MTV Music Video Award."

"Tommy, I want you to do my next video."

"Excuse me?" he said around his breadstick.

Lil rolled her eyes. "Dear, use your words."

With difficulty, Tommy swallowed the bread and took a swig of water. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Dead serious."

"Hey guys." said Chuck in greeting.

Angelica less cordially shoved Susie. "Move it, Carmichael." Susie rolled her eyes and scooted over to make room for them. After they were settled, Susie resumed. "Yes, I'm serious."

"What's going on?" asked Chuck.

"Susie just asked Tommy to direct her next video." offered Kimi.

"Hey, congrats, man."

"I haven't said yes yet."

Susie threw a breadstick at his head. "Shut up. You're doing it. I want who I want."

"Already a diva," muttered Angelica.

Lil raised her eyebrows at her boyfriend. "So you're not taking the job?"

Tommy shoved her playfully. "This one. She wants me to get that money. She loves jewelry."

"Tommy," she said seriously. "You can do this. You don't have to doubt yourself, you know."

"Ok, ok" said Tommy hastily, obviously not wanting to have that conversation in front of everyone. "I'll do it."

Susie grinned. "Good."

Phil and Dil finally showed up with a pitcher of beer and their arms full of icy mugs. Dil tilted a mug and filled it. He slid the frothy mug across the table to his brother. "To Tommy!" he said. "And Lil and Phil _and _…" He leaned down and kissed Kimi's forehead chastely. "My sweet Kimi." Kimi rolled her eyes but her cheeks tinged pink.

Angelica smiled widely. "This is nice. It's like old times."

"Except that you're not nearly as mean as you used to be," offered Kimi.

Chuck wrapped an arm around his fiancée. "She's always nice."

Angelica chortled. "Ok, even I don't believe that."

"Hey—"

"OhmyGOD! You are her! You are totally Susie Carmichael, aren't you?"

Susie eyed the exuberant adolescent girl standing at their tableside. "Yeah, that's me."

"Wow, this is so crazy! I love you! I have your album and I love your new video and I can't believe what you can do with your voice. I—"

The girl just seemed to notice that everyone was looking at her expectantly. She put one hand to her flushed face awkwardly. "Sorry—I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, it's totally cool," said Susie kindly. "I'm so happy to meet you." She stretched out her hand. "I'm Susie."

The girl grinned ear to ear and took her hand. "I'm Claire. I'm a really big fan. I want to sing. Because of you, I'm going to pursue my dream. I just started taking voice lessons."

Susie smiled. "That's awesome."

"Can I maybe get your autograph?" asked Claire.

"Absolutely." Claire held out a napkin and pen in her shaking hands. Susie signed it and held it back to her.

The girl grinned. "Thanks…well, that's my mom flagging me down…you know, school night." And she was gone.

"Well," said Angelica. "It's not exactly like old times. Some things have changed."

"Wow, that was weird." said Susie. "I have fans."

"Anyway," said Angelica, "If Susie's done hogging the attention"—Susie rolled her eyes—"I believe we were doing a toast."

"To the graduates!" declared Chuck, raising his glass. Tommy lifted his mug with a grin. Lil squeezed his leg under the table.

"To the graduates!"


End file.
